August 31, 2012

If you have an iPad you really should check this out.
This app stores your PDF patterns and has a nifty little bar you can turn on and move from line to line to mark your place in a pattern. For lace knitting, highlighting your rows is a must!

In all honesty, I downloaded the free version, but I like it so much, I'm seriously thinking about paying the 9.99 for the pro version.
When you get time, check it out. I think you will like it.

August 22, 2012

August 21, 2012

Now I know that the cost of everything is going up. Lord knows I can't even hit up Wally World anymore for under a hundred bucks.
What I have noticed lately, that the cost of yarn has sky rocketed!
Eventually knitting, with nice wools,cottons and lace yarns, will become a hobby for the elite.
In the interest of full disclosure, everyone knows I have more yarn than I will ever be able to use.
Now I'm seeing my stash in a whole new light.
Ten years ago when the stash was still very substantial, if I saw some beautiful yarn that I just "had to have" I bought it.
Now? If I don't have it in my stash, I usually don't knit it, unless it's with some cheap acrylic from Walmart.
No more wool blankets and Egyptian cotton sweaters from me. Now it's all acrylic.
In acrylic's defense there are plenty of yarns that are soft and cuddly and a pleasure to work with.

I did find some decent prices still at Knitpicks and that seems to be the place I will be getting all my "non cheap" yarn ;0)
I think it will be a long time before I purchase any LL's or any other designer named yarn again. ;0(
And Lord, don't get me started about the rocketing cost of patterns, pdf patterns, all written edited, emailed on the computer, patterns. whew!

August 19, 2012

63 sts on the body.
It's funny, when I first started knitting, it seemed like those 24 sts that you have to short row twice took forever. Now that I am up to 63 sts on the body, it seems like I breeze right through them.
I am a little over half way to half way ;0)
I'm going to put on 100 body sts before the center panel.
Yes, that is Jule, she had to touch it.

August 17, 2012

The first skein is on the shawl.
38 body sts
It really is an easy pattern, once you decipher the designers notes.
And it takes a few rows for you to get your head around the fact that you are knitting this shawl sideways.
Once your past all that, it is easy knitting all the way.
Yes I know it's 5 in the a.m. But I have been up since 315 so, half my day is over already! Lol

August 14, 2012

I don't know why I can never just start a project and finish it.
You start with ten body sts and increase one st ever 7th row.
Last night I started and got all the way up to 25 body sts and decided this was a really great shawl, but Ms Jessie is turning 100 she needs something fancier.
So I frogged all those sts, found a lace pattern that looked easy enough for me and started that.
By the time I got to row 20 I decided Ms Jessie is going to be 100 years old, she doesn't need lacey, she needs something warm.
So after work today I frogged all those sts and started back with the first shawl.
Then I got back up to 18 body sts and decided the fabric wasn't "drapey" enough and frogged all those sts and started back over on size 8 needles.
I think I am settled now, but I have noticed, I always knit this way.
I wish I could be one of those knitters who have it all figured out before they start!

August 12, 2012

The yarn for Ms. Jessie's shawl arrived while I was on a whirlwind trip to Vermont.
Had it come in one day earlier, Brat #1 would not have had to deal with all my stress and I would have been at least half finished by the time we arrived back home. ;0)
Anyway, it's time to get knitting, the pattern looks simple enough and I love that the ruffle is knitted along with the shawl.
Will post progress pics as I go

August 6, 2012

My boss's Mom, Ms.Jessie will be 100 years old in October!
Just...... wow!
Ms. Jessie is the sweetest lady and the Grandbrats love her to pieces.
I knew she was coming up on a hundred because it's only been a few years ago she got her license renewed and we all joked about how she was up for renewal again when she turned 100.
And now here we are.

I wanted to knit her something special, and I know how she gets cold so easy now, so I talked to my boss and found out her favorite color is hot pink. Of all colors!

Then I went on a Ravelry hunt for the perfect pattern.
It took me a while, I have been looking and thinking about this since May!
Then I found the Gentle Wave Shawl Pattern
This was it! It looked easy enough to knit and will definitely keep her warm.

Then it was on to the yarn.
My first choice? Knitpicks of course.
The pattern calls for a gauge of 24 sts to 4" on size 5 needles with a light fingering weight yarn.
Well, I don't know how or why it works out for me this way, but I always, always get the gauge called for on the yarn package. So, looking around at fingering weight yarn I found that they were all 24sts to 4" on size 1 to 3 needles. Well poop! If I go from the largest, a 3, all the way up to a 5, I am going to have a lace shawl, and that was not what I wanted.
Then I found this yarn

Knitpicks Stroll Sport

In this color

Perfect! 75% machine washable wool and 25% nylon. No worrying about washing, it's very soft, and gauge was bang on!
Not bad, not bad at all!
And! no hot pink! I got as close as I could to a bright pink color with what they had.
I think she will like it. The whole thing, with the 2 day shipping was only $38.
So I think I did pretty good on this project so far.

She has some of my favorite patterns, including the Tree Frog towel I made for Brat #1 for Christmas a few years ago. Pictures of that can be found Frog Towel

The second towel is the almost finished product from the pattern in my last post.

It is super simple to turn any cloth into a towel, you just follow the pattern as written until the top border, omitting that, you add about ten or fifteen rows of st st knitting, depending on how long you want your cloth to be, then follow the pattern back from end to beginning.

That's it, easy, easy.
Go ahead and give it a try with some of your favorite cloth patterns.
These make great gifts.
And if you have spares, I never have enough time to finish all the ones my girls want, I'll send you my address ;0)